6 Ways to Reuse Your Christmas Tree

Once the main spectacle of the festive season is finished
and the turkey and booze are running low, there’s always one issue left to
solve – what to do with your Christmas tree.

Most of us spend the latter days of December/early January
awkwardly dragging a huge green shrub out of the house, dropping endless
amounts of pine along the floor, all in a compounding realisation that
Christmas is over for another year.

Fear not however, we’ve compiled a handy list of ways you
can re-use your tree and keep the festive spirit going longer than December the
26th.

6.) Make Mulch

Those pesky shredding needles can be put into use by
throwing them onto plants for mulching and your tree can even be made into
compost if you have the necessary tools for doing so.

Not everybody has easy access to a wood chipper to make
mulch to line the garden or paths with, so contact your local landscaping
company who are usually happy to mulch your tree for a small fee.

5.) Give back to Nature

The tree that spectacularly donned itself in your front room
for a few weeks was once part of a natural forest habitat, so perhaps it’s time
to give something back!

During the winter, animals need shelter to keep warm, hide
from predators and store food, so the Christmas tree is the perfect way to help
out Mother Nature.

You can do your bit by either leaving the full tree out in
your garden in its stand for birds (possibly leaving them some sort of feed),
or chopping off a branch or two to dispose of in a local pond to give fish
sheltered habitat. Make sure you have permission, however, before dumping large
pieces of branches anywhere that isn’t your property.

4.) Recycle

Not the most exciting or imaginative way of using your tree,
but it’s important to know where to go if you wish to be eco-friendly this
Christmas.

If you've not already been contacted - a small bit of
research on the internet should help you discover which local companies do tree
collections around your area and what days they come.

You can also take it to your nearest home depot or gardening
warehouse, where they're usually happy to take it off your hands. Just remember
to remove any tinsel, chocolate or decorations that could interfere in the
recycling process.

3.) Furniture/Ornaments

Arts & Crafts form a large part of the Christmas trade,
so why not contribute your bit and turn your tree into something still worth
looking at?

If you have the correct tools and know-how, your tree can be
made into a stool, tea light holder or even a tree stump wall clock (DIY clock
kits can be bought for around £30)!

Feel free to even cut up pieces of branch and sand them down
in order to create a canvas for new Christmas tree decorations for next year.

2.) Chop into Firewood

When a Christmas tree reaches the end of its life, it
carries minimal moisture to supress flames, so take advantage of its infamously
flammable wood.

Once your
tree has been cut into manageable pieces, use the trunk or branches to kindle
into a woodstove, firepit or fireplace to get a lovely warm flame going.

However,
if your tree is sappy and carrying some moisture, you run the risk of creosote
buildup. It needs to be completely dry before being used in indoor fireplaces
and woodstoves or you risk being overwhelmed by the smoke.

One of the best ways of
burning your tree is to also create a huge bonfire in your own space. It’s a great
way to gather friends and family for one more festive get-together.

Light the
fire in a clear, open area on a day with minimal wind and don't keep flammable
objects nearby. Make sure to keep close supervision around the tree closely as
it burns, children find will find the big fire fascinating.

1.) Eat it!

Yes you
can really eat your Christmas tree! (Not whole, obviously).

The pine
needles give a fantastic festive flavour and aroma to many different edible
treats that are simple and easy to make.

Chef, René
Redzepi, believes that we should use our Christmas trees in cooking -

“Nature
takes enormous time and effort to produce something that we use only
briefly. Why don’t we make greater
use of this living tree, as we make use of so many other kinds of plants
on earth, by eating it?”

We couldn’t agree more!

What
do you do with your Christmas tree once it’s had its display? Do you do
anything unusual with it? Tweet us at @IntlTimber - we’d love to hear from you!

While
we don’t stock Christmas trees, don't miss out on our diverse range of other
wood this winter

For
any of timber-related enquires, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

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